Grate



May 2 3, 1933. '.l. s. THOMPSON 4 GRATE Filed March 8, 1930 ,l INVE @WWMM ATToRNEYf v .ramas s.

Patented May 23,1933

.UNnITED rSTATES THOMPSON, OFWNEW ROcHELLn,` 4 PORATIOMOFGLEVELAND, 01110.11 CORPORATIONOFDELAWARE i PATENTOFHCE ,i

NEW YORK, ASSIGNORL "rOFIREBAR coni GRATE Appncpauon ined Maren e, 1930. sriai No. 434,255. i

Thisinvention relates to grates of the type" used in locomotives, marine boiler furnaces and for otherheavy duty purposes. "More particularly,tl1e invention is concerned with agratebar which includes numerous features of novelty by virtue of which more efficient combustion is obtained, the fuel is burned tofa fine ash, and clinkering avoided; The c invention involves certain principles set forth and described in the co-pendingapplication of Buckley, Serial N o. 338,352, filed February 8,1929, but is an improvement on the Buck! ley grate bar inthe respects that the present c. bar maybe manufactured more cheaply, is 151 lighter" in Weight and is ventilated so `that burning out is somewhat more effectively prevented. For purposesof illustration, an

adaptation of the bar suitablefor use inca locomotive Will be described in detailto make '20 clear the advantages ofthe new construction,

but itis to beunderstood that this particular use of the `bar is merely illustrative and that its utility is not` confined to that use.

The ne'vvbar comprises a longitudinal supporting member or carrier bar and a plurality of` fuelsupporting units mounted thereon and preferably removable therefrom, although the carrierbar and the units may be formedas one integralstructure. The carrier bar is provided with the customary trun-` nionsfand the 1fuel`supporting`` units are formed with recesses in'their lower edges so that theymay slipped on the bar by a movement `transverse to the length thereof. These units are providedvvith locking means `so thattheycannot bedislodged from the` bar when the `latter isV shaken in the usual manner. Each unit is provided With a fuel- "supporting surface ,which made` upof a multiplicity of line fuel-supporting" 4areas and preferably each Iunit includes -a plate-like portion `jfromone face of which project Vspaced lugs: These lugs lie `near the top of the plate` and are hollovv,` there being fa chamber in each l' lug Whichhasa lateral openingthrough the opposite side of the plate.V The top of each lug and the plate adjacent theretois subdivided `by air channelsl to form thesmall fuel-supporting areas and there `is1`an`open ing from the chamber in the lug leadingto one of these channels." The lugsare spaced apart along thebar to form `air passagesbetween `tl1`er`n` and air can thus'fiownp between` the lugs to thefuel supported on theunit and can alsoloW [through the chambers to the fuel. The "air currents fiovving` through the passages and chambers serve to ventilate the unit and thus keep its temperature loWand protect it from burning out.

"For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompany` ingdr'awing, in which c l p c c.

Fig. l is a transversesection through the grate bar ofthis invention;

Fig.- 2 is a `fragmentary.plan Viewof aV portion of a fuel-supporting unit ofthe bar Fig. 3 is a sectional View on theline ',3--3

of Fig. 1; and

Fig.` 4 `is afragmentary side elevation of thebar. f

Referring now to the drawing, the bar is illustrated asuconsistingpof a supporting memberfor carrier bar generallydesijgnatedlO and made up of a horizontal Web 11 having an upstanding flange 12 at its top and strengthening rib 13" projecting from its under surface. This carrier baris provided at its ends with upstanding flanges 14, `from which "project trunnions 1,5m.,` The carrierbar is also provided `with the usualdshaker arm 16 by which it maybe connectedto a shaker rod.

Mounted on the carrier, bar `or formedin-` tegraltherevvitli'are fuel-"supporting units 17, f each unit comprising aplate-like portion 18 anda plurality of `laterallyrirojecting lugs 19 disposed near the upper edge of the plate" onone face only. f These lugsare spaced apart i to Vformpassages 20 for the upward flow'V of 21 in its outer edge for the upward flow of air. Within each lug is a chamber 22 opening at 23 through the side of the plate 18 opposite to that from which the lugs project and' there is an air eXit passage 24 through the top of each lug communicating with the chamber. Preferably the under surface 25 of each lug is inclined downwardly toward the plate soY that the chamber 22 has a sloping Viioor 26, thus leading air which enters the opening 23 in an upward direction to the air eXit port 24. The top of each lug may be plain or it may have a. plurality of minor fuel-supporting projections 27 separated by air channels 28 and intersecting air' channels 29. In they construction illustrated, each lugcarries several groups of projections of which there are four in a group and similar projections are formed on the top of the plate adjacent to the lug. Each projection tapers in size upwardlyV as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3 so that the top surface of the projection is of lessvsize than its base. Each projection is defined on all sides by surface which is eX- posed to air flow so that each projection is fully protected and cooled by air currents and the fuel supported thereon is in contact with only al small solid area. Thus air reaches the fuel on the top of the grate bar at closely spaced points and a wide-distribution of air is accomplished, the actual solid area' of the bar in contact with the grate being reduced to a minimum consistent with proper support of the fuel.

It will be observed that the air channels 29 which rextend across the lug communicate with the passages 20 and 21. The channels 28 intersecting channels 29 lead to the outer edges of the lug. Between the groups of projections 30 and 31 thereris a relatively wide air channel 32 vand there is a similar wide channel 33 into which the exit passage' 24y leads. This arrangement of the channels and passages insures thatA the air will -iiow around :all of the projections and thus reach allparts of the fuel bed. Some of the air which reaches the fuel bed passes up through the passages 20 and 21, additional air enters the 5othe passage 24, while further quantities of chamber 22 and flows through it to leave by air flow between the free ends of each lug and the next adjacent. fuel-'supporting unit on the bar.

In order to maintain the units at the proper. spacing, certain of the lugs are provided with spacing projections 34 which contact with similar projections 35 from the plain face of the plate to the ncXt adj accnt lug. 'By properly proportioning these spacing projections, the space between adjacent 'cross-bars in a series can be regulated and thus the amount of air flowing upwardly tothe fuel between adjacent units may be controlled.

In order that the vunits may be mounted on v la bar, each unit is provided with a recess 36 in the lower edge of the plate portion thereof, which recess has a shape generally similar to the section of the carrier bar. The recess is so proportioned that the unit rests on the top of the web of the carrier bar at the points 37 and 88, the flange 12 of the carrier bar lying free of the walls of the recess. At the bottom of vthe recess .are lugs 39 and 40 projecting inwardly into the recess and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the overall width of the web ll.

In operation, the fuel burned on the bar is reduced to a relatively fine ash by reason of the wide distribution of air to all parts of the fuel bed, and clinkering is almost entirely obviated. The air channels are formed so that their bottom surfaces slope downwardly 4in such manner as to lead the ash to the air passages and the ash may be discharged from the fuel bed by a slight shaking action which serves merely to jar the fuel-supporting units.

When the carrier member is rocked, as for example, by a movement of the shaker arm 16 to the left (Fig. l), the weight of the fuel on the units tends to keep them stationary and since there is a relatively loose fit between each unit and the carrier bar, a certain degree of relative movement of the bar and unit are thus permitted. 1When the rocking of the bar starts, the web pivots about a point at the end of the surface 38 as al fulcrum and the other upper face of the web 1l moves away from the surface 37 in the recess. This movement of the bar relative to the unit continues until the flange 12 is canted in the recess until it binds against the walls thereof, whereupon the unit and bar move together in any further rocking of the bar. When the reverse rockin T movement is begun, the bar moves relative to the unit by reason of the inertia of the latter due to the weight of fuel thereon and the surface 37 of the bar strikes the corresponding surface of the wall of the recessof the unit a sharp blow, thus jarring the fuel thereon and tending to free the ash which then slides down through the air channels to the air passages and falls into the ash pan. In the pivoting of the carrier bar in the actual rocking movement, the unit may be raised perpendicularly to a slight extent, then when the rocking action in the other direction occurs, the unit drops down on the carrier bar and at the same time the sharp blow is transmit-ted to it in the manner previously described. This shaking of the grate serves the usual purpose of rocking of the grate bars but the shaking required with this bar is much less in extent and involves much less effort on the part of the tiremanthan is the case with bars 'of the ordinary construction. The fuel-supporting unit is prevented from beingfdislodged from the carrier bar during the shaking of the grate, since plurality of lugs proj ecting from one face of beneath the adjacent edge of the web l1 ofthe bar, and the unit is thus locked to the bar vin such a way that it cannotbe freed there the bar. As a consequence, the main portion of the plate of each unit iskept cool and injury due to the heat ofthe burning `fuel is thus prevented.

VVhatI claim: l. A grate bar which comprises a carrier bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting unit-s thereon extending beyond the side `edges thereof, each unit including aplate-like portion and a row of hollow lugs projecting from one face only of said plate, the top of said lugs serving as a fuel-supporting surface.

2. A grate bar which comprises acarrier bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting units thereon extending beyond the side edges thereof, each unit incuding a plate anda row of lugs projecting from one face only of said plate, each lug having a chamber within it opening through the other face of said plate.

3. A grate bar which Vcomprises a carrier bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting unitsl thereon extending beyond the side edges thereof, each unit including a plate, and a plurality of lugs projecting from one face of said plate, each lug having a chamber within it having a lateral opening.

4. A grate bar which comprises a carrier bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting units thereon extending beyond the side edges thereof, each unit including a plate and a plurality of lugs projecting from one face of said plate, each lug havinga chamber within it having an opening through the opposite face of the plate, the fioor of said chamber sloping upwardly awayfrom said opening.

5. A grate bar which comprises a carrier `bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting units thereon extending beyond the side edges thereof, each unit including a plate and a plurality of lugs projecting from one face of said plate, each lug having a chamber within f it with a lateral opening, and an air opening in the top of the lug communicating with said chamber. j

6. A grate bar which comprises a carrier bar and a plurality of fuel-supporting units thereon extending beyond the side edges thereof, each unit including a plate and a said plate, each lughaving achamber within it having a lateral opening through the other face of said plate, and an airport in the top ofthe lug leading from the chamber..l l 7 In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit comprising a plate, `and lugs projecting from one face of said plate, each lug being hollow and having a lateral air inlet` opening` i, 8.`In a grate bar, a `fuel-supportingunit` comprising a plate, and lugs projecting from one facer of said plate, each lug `being hollow and having an air inlet opening through the other face of said plate.

9. ln a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit comprising a plate, and lugs projecting from one face of said plate, each lug being hollow and having a lateral air inlet opening and an air outlet opening at the top.

10. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit comprising a plate, and lugs projecting from one face only of said plate, each lug having its top surface subdivided by air channels into aplurality of small fuel-supporting surfaces arranged in groups and having a vertical air passage in its outer face communicating with certain of said channels.

l2. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit comprising aplate, and lugs projecting from one face only of said plate, each lug having upwardly extending projections from its top surface separated by air channels and having a vertical air passage in its outer face communicating with certain of said channels.

13. A grate bar comprising a carrier bar having upstanding arms at its ends and a plurality of fuel-supporting units mounted removably thereong'each unit comprising a plate and a plurality of lugs projecting from one face only thereof, said plate having aV recess shaped to receive said carrier bar, said plate also having spaced parts normally free face only thereof near the top of the plate, the plate having a recess to receive said carrier bar and a pair of parts spaced a distance slightly `greater than the greatest overall width of said carrier bar, said parts being, positioned to engage said carrier bar alternately as said carrier bar and unit move relatively upon rocking of said carrier bar in alternate directions, each of said units engaging the next unit on said carrier bar and one end unit engaging the arm at one end of the Carrier bar and maintaining the other units upright.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature.

JAMES S. THOMPSON. 

